In a rather odd series of somewhat Kafkaesque comments, our friend Donald has managed to deflect the argument yet again. To be fair to him, he really is very good at this.
The moment something looks like threatening his position, reputation or credibility, he deflects. He does something quite outrageous, so that people begin to talk about that rather than focusing on the problem for Donald.
Let’s just analyse the recent past; say the last fortnight.
The Mueller Report has been published. Donald has said that he was in favour of it being released in full. He said of the recent 420-0 vote in Congress that he had asked GOP leadership to allow a transparent vote so that it looks good and it doesn’t matter anyway…let’s just play the game, he went on to say.
Nevertheless, whichever way you look at it, the Report is difficult reading for him as the process has already sentenced five of the six Trump associates who have been investigated to prison on charges ranging from conspiracy against the United States to money laundering. The Democrats are starting to establish lines of investigation which push the accusations – even against Donald himself – even further.
So, what can be done? Deflect, deflect and deflect again. Get people to talk about something else. Anything else, really. Even if it is bad, it’s better than Mueller.
So Donald managed to make almost everyone gasp by being rude and offensive about ex-Senator John McCain (deceased). Yes, he even had a pop at his dead nemesis. He said that he had never liked him.
He also bizarrely managed to get involved in the marital spat being endured by one of his staunchest supporters and mouthpieces, Kellyanne Conway. Her husband, George, who seemingly has little time for his wife’s boss, has been rude about Donald – he questioned his mental capacities – and made reference to a disorder known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Donald has reacted badly to these comments, calling George ‘a husband from hell’.
In a somewhat deja-vu moment, Donald also stumbled, after the shocking events which unfolded in New Zealand. When given the heaven-sent opportunity to castigate the attacker and discuss a rising threat, world-wide, from white supremacists, he failed both to condemn and agree. His daughter, Ivanka, mentioned that Muslims had died, he did not.
To say that he has courted controversy is understating things. His performance on the White House stage with his chum Bolsonaro from Brazil was a perfect distraction once more. Somewhat sycophantically, the Brazilian President fawned over Donald, saying his re-election was likely and Donald reciprocated by mentioning Brazil’s membership of Nato.
Now, I’m no politician but even I know that Brazil isn’t in the North Atlantic!
Oh, by the way, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterised by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. I can’t begin to work out why Donald was offended – fits him like a glove in my view.
l Mike Gaunt is a former assistant headmaster at St Christopher’s School, Bahrain – mikegaunt@gmail.com
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